English

The Senior Department

While the department expects all pupils to aim for the highest standards of expression and presentation, there is emphasis on encouraging pupils to explore different forms of communication through a range of activities and to discover and build on their own strengths and abilities.

The department:

  • encourages creative writing and story telling. 

  • organises regular theatre visits to and from the school.

  • runs a weekly Drama Club and there is an end of year drama production in the Summer Term.

  • follows the National Curriculum at Key Stages 3 & 4.  The syllabuses for GCSE are Edexcel English (A) 1203 and English Literature 1213.

Currently the following key texts are studied:

Year 7:              The Selfish Giant – Oscar Wilde

 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

                         Room 17 – Robert Swindells

                         I Robot,  Runaround  – Isaac Asimov

                        A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Introduction to Shakespeare

                        Macbeth – Introduction to Shakespeare

Year 8:             Genesis Chapter 1 & 2, Greek Myths, Beowulf.

                        Ballads: including The Ancient Mariner – Samuel Taylor Coleridge

                                                   Hurricane - Bob Dylan

                        Henry V – Shakespeare

                        Holes – Louis Sachar

                        Lord of the Flies (adaptation for drama) - William Golding

Year 9:             Tales of the Unexpected – Roald Dahl

                        Anita and Me – Meera Syal

                        Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

                        The Tempest – Shakespeare

Year 10:           Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson

                        Romeo and Juliet – Shakespeare

                        Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

Year 11:           Journey’s End – R.C. Sherriff

                        Romantic Poetry –  including William Wordsworth, William Blake, Lord Byron, John Keats, Robert Burns, John
                        Clare.

Class sizes do not exceed 16 in any year group.

  • In Year 7 and 8 pupils work in the same set unless they are withdrawn and work in the Tardis for support with Literacy.  Pupils are divided into two sets in Year 9.  There are two sets for Year 10 and 11.

  • There are six periods of English a week of 35 minutes.  At the end of Key Stage 3 the pupils sit SATs for external examination.  At Key Stage 4 (GCSE) the timetable offers at least one double period a week. 

  • The six periods a week include one drama lesson for all pupils and also ICT and library lessons on a regular basis. All Key Stage 3 pupils follow the Attack spelling programme for a further period a week.  The pupils are streamed across the three year groups in KS3 according to their spelling age for this one period.

  • At Key Stage 3 the pupils are set two 30 minute preps a week.  At Key Stage 4 the pupils receive two 40 minute preps a week.  Pupils are expected to work in their own time on English Language and Literature Coursework.

The Junior Department

The department aims to teach the basic skills to a good standard through a multimedia approach and also to instil a love of language in the pupils from an early age.  Throughout the department there is an emphasis on creative writing, storytelling, drama and role play.  The students are given access to the National Curriculum through  ‘no stress’ schemes of work and they develop a good skills base through the encouragement of their creative strengths and abilities. English throughout the Junior school is taught through extended projects based on traditional and media texts.

At KS1 and through to KS2 to the pupils work on an independent reading and spelling scheme.

  • In Years 4, 5 and 6 the pupils follow the Attack spelling programme for one period a week.  The pupils are streamed across the three years groups according to their spelling age for this one period. 

  • All pupils are set prep once a week.  In the lower school this will be reading and comprehension in linked booklets.  In year 5 and 6 this may be more structured work.

  • From Year 4 students are introduced to ICT and the importance of ICT in communication.

  • Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils have access to the Senior Library.

  • Lower school pupils sit KS1 SATs for internal assessment at the end of Year 2.  Pupils sit KS2 SATs for external assessment at the end of Year 6.

Currently the following key texts are studied:

Year 5:  The Wizard of Oz, 101 Dalmatians, The Secret Garden.

Year 6:  Millions – Frank Cottrell Boyce

              The Pied Piper

              Aesop’s Fables

              The Silver Sword – Ian Serraillier

              Introduction to Dickens and Shakespeare